


Shine For Us

by Smokeycut



Category: Justice League Dark, Teen Titans
Genre: This actually isnt gonna have much of a plot, mostly comedy and bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 18:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9397427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smokeycut/pseuds/Smokeycut
Summary: Rachel Roth has been living a life out of the spotlight for five years. At 23 years old, she's offered a place on a new team, with a new family. This is the story of how Raven joined the Justice League Dark.





	1. Rachel Roth

Rachel Roth found herself conflicted, mentally debating herself for the twenty third time today. Should she drop this customer's soup in his lap? Or should she keep her job? The first option was rather tempting, but once again Capitalism came out on top, and she resisted the urge. She immediately regretted her decision when the fifty year old father of two pinched her ass as she left to handle another table. Unbeknownst to him, he would wake up the next morning with a complete lack of continence that the young waitress clearly had no involvement in causing. That would be immoral, and she's a hero. Or at least she used to be. Her painted black lips formed the slightest hint of a smirk as she approached the next table, but it was soon replaced by her usual blank expression.

"What can I get you?" She questioned, pen and paper at the ready.

The customer said nothing, still looking through her menu for a minute or two. She set down the menu and slid a piece of paper towards her server. Written on it was an address, and nothing else. "I'll have the chicken parm. Oh, and don't forget to take that," she stated, gesturing towards the paper. "You're gonna need it later." Her voice had an odd, faerie-like quality to it, somehow bringing the forest to one's mind, but that was the least interesting part of the encounter.

Normally, a customer with a random address would raise some red flags, and this was no different. Rachel was about to stuff it in her apron pocket and forget all about it when she saw a violet vine sprout from the stranger's forearm, wrap around her own wrist briefly, and with it's retreat left behind a watch, which the woman then checked. A shapeshifter, and quite a talented one at that. Rachel took down the order and made a mental note to follow up on that address the next day. The rest of her shift was rather uneventful, with no more curses or mystery women, and only one child vomiting on the front door of the restaurant. She moved the slip of paper from her apron to the back pocket of her jeans as her shift came to an end, and mentally thanked herself for enchanting all of her clothes to have pockets. 

She went grocery shopping, then arrived back home. She was just about to unlock the door to her apartment when her neighbor, an old man by the name of Jim, stopped her. 

"You still got that address, right?" He asked. His voice was very Jim-like, but not his tone. Red flag. The pulled pork sandwich in his hand was also a red flag, considering the fact that Jim was Jewish. 

"...yes?"

"Alright, cool. See ya later." With that, he walked back into his apartment, closing the door with his foot and munching on his sandwich. Rachel made a mental note to definitely follow up on this address later as she stepped into her tiny apartment. Thankfully, her roommate was out for the night. The benefits of living with someone who works a night shift as a security guard. She set down the bag of groceries on the table, unbuttoned her blouse enough to let her skin breathe, then pulled the address from her back pocket and examined it. The first problem was the fact that it was in Greenwich Village, on the complete other end of the country. Really, that was the only problem, but it was a fairly big one. Either the mystery plant woman and Not Jim expected her to be very dedicated to unraveling this mystery, or they knew that she could teleport very long distances. She decided to make the trip tomorrow, on her day off, that way she'd have all day to figure out this cryptic bullshit. For now though, she just wanted to meditate, study dark magics that would make most souls shrivel up and die, and cook up some stirfry. She slept soundly that night, dreaming only of a library that seemed to stretch on forever. It was heavenly.

She woke up the next morning to find the apartment empty. A note on the kitchen table from her roommate told her that he was going to be at his boyfriend's place all day. Having free reign over the apartment on her day off usually meant binging Hill Street Blues in a comfy pair of jeans and her favorite blouse, taking the occasional break to stop some mystical threat or another. Today though, she had a mission. She showered, picked out a nice dress to wear, ate breakfast, and stood in the center of the living room. With a wave of her hand, black and purple energies began to swirl in the air, growing larger and larger, until a glowing portal filled the space in front of her. She calmly stepped through it, and with another wave of her hand, the portal tightened and closed. She felt a cool, calming breeze, then looked at the building in front of her and compared the address with the one she had been given. It was a match. It was a just little store, sandwiched between two large apartment buildings. There were petunias growing out front, and a small sign in the window beckoning her to come in. She did exactly that, the door ringing a small bell and notifying the owner that there was a new guest. 

It was an odd little parlor, filled with crystals, jewelry, books and other such trinkets. The scent of roses hung in the air, and a table with two chairs sat in the center of the room. It had the unmistakable feeling of a magic shop. A dark haired woman in a flowing green gown stepped in from the back room and smiled softly at Rachel. She held a mason jar in her hands, and inside it Rachel could see a small figure.

"Hello, Raven. I'm glad you could make it." The woman's voice was warm, and held the traces of an accent, but Rachel couldn't quite place it. She set the jar down in the center of the table, and took a seat. Rachel did the same, eyeing the woman and the jar suspiciously. "My name is Madame Xanadu, and I have owned this parlor for a long, long time. Do you know why you're here, Raven?"

"My name is Rachel. I haven't gone by Raven in five years." She glared at Xanadu, then answered the question. "And no. I was given an address by a shapeshifter and my neighbor, who wasn't acting like himself. They didn't tell me anything else."

"Then allow me to explain..." Xanadu moved the jar to the side, and swiped her hand along the table, leaving a trail of golden symbols floating just above the tablecloth. The symbols melded together into two shapes, and took the forms of a man in a leotard and a woman made of foliage. "These are the people you met yesterday. Their names are Boston Brand and Alba Garcia, though you may have heard their other names in the past. They go by Deadman and Black Orchid. I sent them to fetch you so that we could discuss your future." Xanadu poked the mystical images with her finger, causing them to disappear in a puff of golden smoke. "We are part of a team that handles threats the heroes of this world cannot even begin to comprehend. The beasts that lurk on the other side of reality, the evil gods that wish to tear this world asunder, the monsters that go bump in the night..."

Xanadu lifted the mason jar, and placed it in Rachel's hands. The young woman looked through the glass, and saw a pale apparition inside. A woman with no legs, only tentacles, and an unhinged jaw that stretched down to her waist. Rachel looked back to Xanadu. 

"How did you capture this?" She asked, having never seen evil entities contained in such a way before.

"It's a specialty of mine. I may not be the best in a fight, but I can lock terrors away with a skill few can compare." Xanadu smirked and took the jar back, then began to walk it back to the back room. She stopped, and beckoned Rachel to follow her. Intrigued, Rachel did exactly that. What she saw filled her with a sense of awe. The back room held hundreds of similar jars, each with it's own prisoner. A mummy, an eldritch demon, a hellhound, and many more. Xanadu set the wraith down between Beelzebub and Tzeentch.

She spun on her heel and faced Rachel again, looking deeply into her guest's eyes. "You may have left your old name behind, but your conquests are still known throughout the magical community. _Raven, The Daughter of Hell_. The Vanquisher of Trigon. The Titan of Terror. I've heard of your battle with Doctor Chaos, and your triumph over Carmilla The Vampire Queen. You're just as much of a legend as we are. We could use your strengths in The Dark." 

"The dark? What do you mean?" Rachel's intrigue had grown, and she found herself actually interested in what this woman had to offer.

"The Dark. A team of magic users who operate outside of the spotlight. Your battles with your father? That's the sort of thing we handle on a monthly basis." She placed a gentle hand on Rachel's shoulder. "We want you to join us. We have access to untold mystical knowledge, and that knowledge grows with each adventure. You'll have the opportunity to defeat demons like Trigon and your brothers, and keep this world safe. If you step into The Dark, you'll become part of our coven, Raven. Part of our family." Xanadu offered Rachel her hand and smiled. "Care to join us?"

She thought of the two paths that were laid out in front of her, and the infinite possibilities that this one held. She thought of the life she had in San Francisco as well, and the comfort it filled her with. Then she thought, _why not take take both paths?_ She took the fortune teller's offered hand and smiled. "I already have a family, but one more couldn't hurt."


	2. The House Of Mystery

Rachel stood on the sidewalk, soaking in the rain, eyes closed as she rocked on the balls of her feet. She smiled softly to herself, listening to the pitter patter of rain as though it was a song. In her mind, it practically was. She breathed in the cool spring air, taking in the earthy scent it brought along. The rain was calming as always, soothing her like few other things could. It was one of the few moments she allowed herself to feel freely, without restricting her emotions. It was a moment of bliss, one which she would cherish always. She opened her eyes slowly, and took in the mansion that loomed in front of her. Madame Xanadu stood at the gate, looking at Rachel with an amused smile on her face. She had brought the girl here to properly meet the rest of The Dark, but the sight of Rachel bouncing gently in the rain was too good to miss.

"You're not as scary as you're made out to be," Xanadu commented. 

"I may be half demon, but I'm still part human. People always forget that," Rachel replied. "I'm just as susceptible to adorability as the next person." She kicked a puddle as she made her way over to the gate, scattering droplets of rainwater across the sidewalk. "Besides, I haven't been a full time angsty superhero in years. Unlike your friends, I'm a bit out of practice when it comes to melodrama."

Xanadu chuckled as she opened the gate, then led Rachel towards the front door. "Come. Let's not keep them waiting." She reached out for the doorknob, but waited until Rachel was at her side before opening it.

"I'd hate to disappoint the mysterious coven who spend their free time stalking young women and hijacking the bodies of old Jewish men," Rachel snarked as she stepped through the threshold. She took in her new surroundings as Xanadu closed the door behind them, taking mental notes of it all. It was an old building, but impossible to place when or where it's architecture came from. It felt like a mixture of every culture, every time, every _thing_. One thing was for certain though; it felt homey. Rachel suddenly felt the water that had clung to her skin and dampened her clothes vanish, leaving her warm and dry. She turned and faced the magician responsible, and found it to be a man in his thirties, with dirty blonde hair and a face that clearly hadn't been shaved in a few days. The heavy scent of cigarette smoke confirmed his identity. Constantine, The Hellblazer.

"Hello there. What's a fine young place like you doing in a girl like this?" He chuckled at his own dumb joke, then brushed past her and walked down the hallway, beckoning for the two women to follow his lead. "Boston and Alba are still on the west coast, so you've just got Zee and I to deal with till we pick them up." John opened a simple wooden door and ushered the women into the kitchen.

"What of Wotan?" Xanadu inquired as John rifled through the fridge. He tossed her an orange, then pulled out a slice of pie wrapped in plastic and set it on the counter.

"In the library, where he's been for the last three days. Zee went to check on him a few hours ago, said he was knee deep in texts from Zatara's old personal collection." He unwrapped the plate and began to microwave it while talking. "I swear, I'm gonna start making that green bastard pay for entry some day. As for you," he pointed a fork at Rachel. "You've got a room here now. The house made one for you the moment it learned you're joining up with us. Of course, you can also keep staying at your own place whenever you want. Zee and I both have a bunch of safe houses, Madame X's got that shop of her's, Boston is dead so who gives a fuck, I honestly have no fucking clue what Alba does when she's alone, and Wotan is a mooching arsehole."

"Anything else I should know?" Rachel inquired, only half serious.

"Yeah. The house makes no logical sense, so just try thinking of a room when you open a door and it _should_ show up. Sometimes the house'll put you somewhere else. I tried leaving a house meeting once and it just kept sending me back to the living room. Let's see, make sure you check the house rules before you turn in tonight, try not to piss off Zee, and make your own meals. I'm not your mum, and I'm not gonna cook for you. That's about it, and if you'll excuse me, I have a demon to feed." 

The microwave beeped loudly, which prompted John to take the pie and hurry out the door, slamming it behind him and leaving the two women alone once more.

"So... Wotan? As in, the evil warlock who keeps trying to murder Dr. Fate, Wotan?" Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you said you were protecting the world, not tearing it apart at the seams."

"Wotan has changed in recent years," Xanadu explained, leading Rachel to the door. "But he can explain his reasons much better than I..." 

With that cryptic addition, Xanadu turned the doorknob and revealed a library. Bookshelves towered above them and stretched on for miles, far enough that Rachel couldn't see where the room ended. The girl's lips turned upwards, becoming a playful smirk as she stepped through the threshold. Her heels clicked against the wooden floorboards and she picked up the ever wonderful scent of old books.

"Beyond old, my dear," Xanadu chimed. "This is the sum of every magical text our little group has collected, both through our journeys together and in our private lives. Though I'm sure we've each got a few squirreled away for ourselves. Wotan practically lives here these days, pouring over every book and scroll he can find. I imagine you two will have quite a bit to discuss. I'll be on the porch if you need me."

And so, with Madame Xanadu having taken her leave, Raven was left in the library, surrounded by ancient, dusty tomes. She wandered between the towering bookcases, occasionally selecting a book or scroll with her telekinesis and bringing it into orbit around her. She kept an eye out for Wotan while skimming through a journal on the proper way to sublimate flesh. The sound of a man clearing his throat pulled her focus away from the book, and her eyes darted upwards. A man, green skinned and robed in crimson, floated above her nonchalantly, a scroll in his hands.

"Greetings. Might I offer any assistance, girl?"

"Wotan. Yes, actually. I was wondering why you're here, rather than locked away by Doctor Fate." 

"Ah-ah, such knowledge is not given out freely. In time, girl. Once I know I can trust you with it. As of now, I don't even know your name, so why should I trust you with my story?"

"Because I have the ability to ensnare you with the souls of the damned for 10,000 years," she shot back with a hint of a sneer.

Wotan cackled, then drifted down to meet Raven at eye level. "Silly girl. Has no one told you the fate of the last witch who attempted that? I'm sure your father could tell you all about it. After all, he's the one who ate her."

"So you do know who I am," Rachel countered with a smirk. "And you know what power I possess. Last I checked, you're still human under that snot colored skin."

"Feh." Wotan sneered at Rachel, before cracking a smile. "Xanadu was right, you'll fit in here just fine. I'll tell you my tale of redemption someday, don't worry. For now though, I must warn you. That page on sublimating flesh is completely incorrect. The most you'd manage is creating a slight tingle in their feet. I can teach you the proper way to do it later this evening if you'd like. I think I have a pig carcass around here somewhere to practice on."

"Deal."


End file.
